20: The Cadaver Synod: The Trial of a Dead Pope

In a chapter ripped straight from the darker annals of history, we recount the ghastly episode known as the Cadaver Synod, where the decaying body of Pope Formosus was exhumed and subjected to trial by his living successor. It’s a tale so morbid and so peculiar that it seems more fiction than fact, yet it remains a blemish on the legacy of the Catholic Church.

This episode of Hometown History delves into the political chaos of 9th-century Rome, an era plagued by power struggles that blurred the lines between the sacred and the profane. With vivid storytelling, we’ll recreate the chilling courtroom scene, explore the motives behind such a grotesque spectacle, and reveal the aftermath that forever altered the papacy.

Join us as we unearth this almost unbelievable historical event, painting a picture of an era where even the deceased were not spared from the machinations of the living. For more tales from the crypts of history, visit us at itshometownhistory.com.